Tailgate mechanism



Aug. 31, 1943. w. A. LAWRENCE 2,323,032

TAILGATE MECHANISM Filed Spt. 8, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fig.

flhrmn/Alawmm 9 w. A. LAWRENCE 2,328,082

TAILGATE MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 8, 1941 Warm/0 A. Laura/we J jgm Q2 MW 1 quently of such large size and Still another f-the vehicle when zontal position.

Patented Aug. 31, 1943.

aszaosz TAILGATE MECHANISM Warren A. Lawrence, Hayesville, Ohio application September 8, 1941, Serial No. 409,928

tailboards vehicles, and more esper improving the operation The inventionrelates to tailgates or for trucks and similar cially to mechanism f of the tailgate.

Particularly in the larger, or heavier, typeset motor trucks and trailers the .tailgates are fregreat weight as to require considerable effort on the part of the operator to open or close the same, making-it not only extremely difficult but also dangerous to operate suchtailgates, sincethe heavy tailgate may slip from the operators him and causing bodily injury. i The present invention contemplates the provision of simple and efiicient mechanism for subgrasp, falling upon stantially balancing the weight of the tailgate during the time the same is being'raised or low cred, thus relieving the operator-of the greater part of the burden of raising such heavy tailgates as well as protecting him from injury while so employed.-

i Another object of the invention is to provide such balancing operation of a mechanism for assisting inthe tailgate, which is so constructed 'andlocatedthat it will not in any manner interfere withjthenormal use of the tailgate or the vehicle upon which it is mounted.

A turther object ofthe invention is the provision of such mechanism whichnot only produceslittle if any projection beyond the edges of the vehicle, but which. is protectively enclosed so as to prevent injury tothe operator or others near to the vehicle when the tailgate is operated. A still further object is the provision of tailgate mechanism of the general character repermits the use of more or less standard locking or latching means for normally ierred to which holding the tailgate in closed position.

object is the provision or a cam lock for normally locking the mechanism to hold hetailgate in closed position, means being provided for releasing said cam look when the usual looking or latching bars are released to permit opening or lowering of the tailgate. j

"Another object is theprovision of means for operating the cam lock to hold the tailgate in any desired positionbetween the fully closed and "fully opened positions.

Afurther object of the invention is the provision of a novel hinge for the tailgate designed toclose the hinge joint between the tailgate and the tailgate is opened to hori- The above objects together with. others which will be apparent from the drawings andfollowposition with parts ing description orwhich maybe later referred to may be attained by constructing the improved tailgate mechanism in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which 7 t Figure l is a bottom plan view of the rear portion of a vehicleprovided with the improved tailgate mechanism, parts being broken away for the purpose of illustration;

Fig. 2, a. rear elevation of the vehicle body showing the tailgate in the raised or closed and lockedposition; and t j t Fig.3, a side elevation of the rear portion of theyvehicle showing the tailgate in the closed broken in section. b Similar numerals "refer to similar parts tween the vehicle bottom and tailgate when'the animals may be driven acrossthe tailgate into or out of the vehicle without danger of catching their hooves in the hinge joint. n t

This hinge joint comprises a hinge pinv l3;

For the purpose of locking the tailgate in the closed or raised position shown in the drawings a lock or latch bar mechanism of more or less usual design may be provided comprising a pair of latchlbolts l6 slidably located through brackets I! mounted upon the tailgate near the upper corners. thereof and adapted to be projected through the U-shaped terminals I8 of said brackand ets and through the apertured plates I9 fixed to the side walls I I of the vehicle.

I The inner ends of the lock bolts to are operatively connected to an operating lever 29 on opposite sides of the fulcrum'2l thereof by means of which the lever is pivotally connected to the tail gate.

With the lever 29 in the position best shown in Fig. 2 the locking bolts I B are projected through the U-shaped end portions 18 of the bracket ll through the apertured plates 19 upon the sides of the vehicle holding the tailgate locked in the raised or closed position.

It will be seen that when the lever 20 is rotated in a clockwise direction, the bolts l5 will be withdrawn from the plates l9 and. U-shape portions l8 of the brackets permitting the tallgate to be swung downward upon its hinge, I

The balancing mechanism for the tailgate includes a pair of cables or 22 connected at their ends to the side edges of the tailgate near theupper end thereof as at, 33. These cables extend forwardly along the sidewalls ll of the vehicle and pass over pulleys. 24 located within the upper ends of. the housing; 25 attached totheside wallstof the vehicle as, by the ears 26 through which. screwsor the like as indicated at-21 maybe located.

Each cable 22 after passing over the pulley 2 extends downward' through the housing 25 and then around a pulley 28 located in the lower end of the housing,,the cables 22 then extending'hori zontally below the bottom wall Ill of the vehicle toward the longitudinal center thereof where they are snubbed around a pulley 2'9. journaled, in a bracket 3i! attached, to bottom wall Ill. I 1

I Both cables 22 then extend forwardly beneath the bottom of'the vehicl'e'and are connected to one end of a coil spring 31!, the other'end ofwhich is connected to the bottom wall it! of thevehicle asat 32. II I A housing 3.3 rnay be provided for enclosing the spring 32 and the adjacent end portionsoi the cables 22, the housing being connected at its forward end to'bottom wall ll! asby the lug 34 the under side 'ofthe and the rear end of the housing being attached to the bracket 3i! as indicateda't 35. I I

It will be seen thatas the tailgate is swung downwardor'upward upon its hinge the spring 31 through the cableszEZ will; balance the weight of the tailgate relieving the operator of a considerable part of the weight and making it impossible for the tail gate to accidentally fall and injure the operator while he is raising or lowering the samefi, I x a friction brakemay be provided for locking the tailgate in any desired positions This brake may be in I 36- pivoted as at 37- upon the bottom wall fill and provided with a lever the form of an eccentric outerend to one end of a coilspring 39,theother end of which is connected to the bottom wall as at 4o thus normally urging the eccentric (it into frictional contact with the peripheral flange H upon the pulley 29 so as to hold the pulley 29 and through ittlie cables gi and tailj gate. l2

against/movement. I I

For the purpose of releasing this eccentric brake to permit movement of the tailgate achoke wire or the like as indicated at t?! mayb connected to the lever arm iii of? the eccentric brake and tov the. angular .arm 43. upon the operating lever 20.-

. It, willb seen that, if the lever] 20 is. moved other flexible members arm 38' connected at its in clockwise direction to release the locking bolts Hi the choke wire d2 will be pulled upward swinging the eccentric 38 upon its pivot, against the pull of the spring 39 and releasing the frictional contact upon the flange 4| of the pulley 29.

' When the tailgate has been lowered to the desired position the lever 29 may be moved in counter-clockwise direction back to the position shown in Fig. 2 releasing the choke wire 42 and permitting. the spring 33 to pull the eccentric 36 back into frictional contact with the flange 4| holding the pulley 29 against movement thus look-- ing the tailgate in horizontal or other open or 4 partly opened position.

I claim:

1. In combination with a vehicle body, a tailgate horizontally hinged at its lower end to the vehicle body and being substantially vertical in closed position, a pair of flexible members each connectedat one end to the tailgate near the top thereof, pulleys o-n'the sides of the vehicle body over which the flexible membersare located, apulley on the bottom of the vehiclebody around which the flexible members are snubbed, a spring connected at one end to the other ends of the flexible members, theother end of the spring being connected to the bottom of the vehicle body, a friction brake associated with the bottom pulley for normally preventing movement of the tailgate, looking bars for locking the tailgate inclosedpositicn, and means associated with the locking bars for simultaneously releasing the locking bars and the frictionbraka 2. In'combination with a vehicle body, a tailgate horizontally hinged at its lower end to the vehicle body and being substantiallyvertical: in closedposition, a pair of flexible members each connected atone end to thetailgate near the top. thereof, pulleyson the sides ofthe vehicle body over whichtheflexible members are lo.- cated, a pulley on the bottom of the vehicle body around which the flexible members aresnubbed, aspi ing connected at one end to the other ends of the flexible members, the otherendv of the F spring being connected to thebcttom of the vehicle body, a friction brake associated: with the bottom pulley for normally preventing movement of the, tailgate locking bars for locking the tailgate inclosed' position, means associated with the lookingbars for simultaneously releasing the looking bars and the, friction brake,v and means-for applying the friction brake in any'position of the tailgate. 1 I 3. In combination with a vehicle body, a tailgate horizontally hinged at its lower end tothe vehicle'body and being substantially vertical in closed position, a pair of flexible members each connected atv one end. to the tailgate near the top thereof, pulleys 0n the sides of the vehicle body over which'the flexible membersarelocated, apulley onthebcttom of the vehicle body around whichthe, flexible members are snubbed, a spring connected at one end tolthe other ends of the flexible members, the other end of the spring being connected, to the bottom: of. the vehicle body, a, fri'ctionbrake associated with the bottom pulley for, normally preventing movement ofth'e tail,- gate, locking bars for locking the tailgate in closed position, an. operating lever for operating the locking bars, a flexiblemernber' connecting the friction brake with said operatingv lever, and spring means normally urging the frictionbrake into contact with the bottom pulley. I v a. 

